al-Radi facts for kids

al-Radi bi'llah الراضي بالله
Caliph Commander of the Faithful
Gold dinar of al-Radi, minted at al-Ahwaz in 934
20th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate
Reign	24 April 934 – 12 December 940
Predecessor	al-Qahir
Successor	al-Muttaqi
Born	Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir 1 January 909 Baghdad
Died	13 December 940 (aged 31) Baghdad
Burial	al-Rusafa, Iraq
Consort	Farha Rabab
Issue	al-Abbas
Full name Abu'l-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir al-Radi bi'llah
Dynasty	Abbasid
Father	al-Muqtadir
Mother	Zalum
Religion	Sunni Islam

al-Radi bi'llah was the twentieth Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate. His full name was Abu'l-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Muqtadir. He ruled from 934 until he died in 940. He was only 31 years old when he passed away. His time as Caliph marked a big change. The Caliphs, who were like rulers, started to lose their political power. Instead, powerful military leaders, called amir al-umara, began to take control.

Early Life of al-Radi

Al-Radi was born on December 20, 909. His father was Caliph al-Muqtadir. His mother was a Greek slave named Zalum. When he was four, he was made the governor of Egypt and the Maghreb. A military leader named Mu'nis al-Muzaffar became his teacher.

Later, Mu'nis and al-Muqtadir had a disagreement. Young Abu'l-Abbas tried to help them make peace, but it didn't work. In 930, his father made him governor of Syria. But he stayed in Baghdad.

In 931, there were rumors that Mu'nis wanted to make Abu'l-Abbas the new Caliph. This worried his father, al-Muqtadir. So, he had his son move into the Caliph's palace.

When his father died in 932, Abu'l-Abbas was considered to be the next Caliph. But his uncle, al-Qahir, was chosen instead. Abu'l-Abbas was put in prison because he was seen as a threat. His belongings were also taken away. He stayed in prison until al-Qahir was removed from power. Then, on April 24, 934, Abu'l-Abbas was freed and became the new Caliph.

Al-Radi's Time as Caliph

A historian named al-Masudi said al-Radi was good-looking and very generous. He loved to talk about history and invited scholars to his palace. He gave them many gifts. But even though he was a Caliph, he didn't have much real power. Other ambitious men started to take control of the government.

At first, Ibn Muqla became the Vizier. A Vizier was a high-ranking official, like a prime minister. But for a while, Muhammad ibn Yaqut was still the most powerful person in the court. Ibn Muqla took full control in April 935.

In 935, there was trouble in Baghdad. Some religious groups, called Hanbalis, caused problems. They would stop people in the streets and break musical instruments. They acted very strictly against anyone who didn't follow their rules.

The biggest problem for the Caliphate was that regional governors were becoming too independent. They stopped sending taxes to Baghdad. This made the central government very weak. Ibn Muqla tried to use the army to get control back. He attacked Mosul in 935, but had to return to Baghdad. Another attempt to fight a rebellious governor in Wasit failed.

Because of these failures and money problems, Ibn Muqla lost his job. In April 936, he was arrested. Al-Radi was forced to fire him as Vizier.

After Ibn Muqla was removed, al-Radi appointed Muhammad ibn Ra'iq to a new position. This new job was called amir al-umara, which means "commander of commanders". This military leader became the real ruler of the Caliphate. The Caliph, al-Radi, only controlled Baghdad and the areas nearby. All government matters were handled by the amir al-umara. His name was even mentioned in the Friday prayers, along with the Caliph's name.

Al-Radi is often called the last "true" Caliph. He was the last to give speeches at Friday prayers. He was the last to meet with thinkers to discuss important issues. He was also the last to give money to those in need. He tried to help people when officers were too harsh.

However, even with all this, he depended on others. Outside of Baghdad, the Caliphate had lost much land. Rich eastern lands, parts of Africa, Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia were gone. Mosul was independent. Arabia was controlled by other groups. Even cities like Basra and Wasit rebelled. The Byzantine Empire, also called the 'Greeks', was only stopped by a brave prince named Sayf al-Daula.

See Also

• Abu Bakr bin Yahya al-Suli

Sources

• Bonner, Michael (2010). "The waning of empire, 861–945". In Robinson, Chase F.. The New Cambridge History of Islam, Volume 1: The Formation of the Islamic World, Sixth to Eleventh Centuries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 305–359. ISBN 978-0-521-83823-8.
• Kennedy, Hugh (2004). [Al-Radi at Google Books The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: The Islamic Near East from the 6th to the 11th Century] (Second ed.). Harlow: Longman. ISBN 978-0-582-40525-7. Al-Radi at Google Books.
• Masudi (2010). [Al-Radi at Google Books The Meadows of Gold: The Abbasids]. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7103-0246-5. Al-Radi at Google Books.
• Özaydın, Abdülkerim (2007). "Râzî-Billâh". TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. 34 (Osmanpazari – Resuldar). Istanbul: Turkiye Diyanet Foundation, Centre for Islamic Studies. 489–490. 
• Zetterstéen, K. V. (1995). "al-Rāḍī bi'llāh". The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume VIII: Ned–Sam. Leiden: E. J. Brill. DOI:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_6170. 
• This text is adapted from William Muir's public domain, The Caliphate: Its Rise, Decline, and Fall.